Family conflict is known to have detrimental impacts on the social development of young children. An important issue in counseling parents and the development of intervention for children is the extent to which other family environmental conditions are the path through which conflict impacts children's development. This study examined two maternal parenting behaviors (harsh discipline and warmth) that may alter the impact of interpartner conflict on child social development and behavior in a large (n = 440 girls, n = 451 boys) sample of ethnically diverse, low-income families of preschool children. Interpartner conflict was associated with poorer child social development and behavior problems. This study found that interpartner conflict increased harsh discipline, which resulted in poorer child social development. This study, however, found no evidence that interpartner conflict impacted child development through its impact on maternal warmth in that mothers experiencing conflict did not alter the level of warm parenting practices. These findings suggest that, when encountering families experiencing interpartner conflict, clinicians should not only direct families to interventions to lessen family conflict but also counsel them on the mechanism (harsh discipline) by which children are impacted by the conflict.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / This study focuses on the attitudes of twenty five mothers, residing in two housing projects, whose children attended the Operation Headstart Program at the Cambridge Neighborhood House during the summer of 1965. The purpose of this study was to discern the mother's role in her child's response to a program which offers a major solution to the problem of cultural deprivation. The study chose to examine the mother's role because of the importance which the family, and the mother particularly, plays in terms of providing the foundation for the child's emotional, social, and physical development. The housing projects were chosen because they represent another of society's major attempts to deal with the problems of the underprivileged. The group chosen for this study are residents of two housing projects in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These housing projects are located across the street from the Cambridge Neighborhood House. Names of subjects were obtained from the Neighborhood House, and were then contacted by letter. All interviews were conducted on a home visit basis. / 2031-01-01

The study examined Latino/Hispanic mother-child interactions and shared book reading behaviors before and after participation in a random-assignment Spanish web-based responsive parenting intervention called Play and Learning Strategies (ePALS), as compared with a Spanish web-based developmental assessment intervention (DAS). The efficacy of PALS was previously demonstrated for improving mother and child behaviors within play contexts, everyday activities, and standardized measures of child language. We did not observe statistical changes in mother-child interactions as measured by the Bilingual Child-Mother Coder Impression; but changes were observed in shared reading interactions as measured by the Adult-Child Interactive Reading Inventory. Mothers enrolled in ePALS slightly increased some reading interactive behaviors, while mothers enrolled in DAS decreased on the use of interactive reading skills. Children enrolled in ePALS significantly increased in their use of interactive reading behaviors, while children’s interactive reading skills in the DAS conditions decreased. These results add to the dual language learners’ literature base, but also add to the supporting importance of targeting responsive behaviors in everyday activities such as shared-reading to facilitate children’s development. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

No description available.

Objective: To evaluate changes in shopping behaviors among low-income families over a one-month period of time in Utah County, Utah. Design: Two researchers conducted thirteen 90-minute focus groups. Setting: Two community organizations serving low-income populations and a university campus. Participants: Seventy-two low-income adults who were the primary household food shoppers and who had at least one child less than 18 years in their household. Main Outcome Measures: Shopping behavior changes during one month period of time. Analysis: Focus groups were recorded and transcribed, and then coded independently by two researchers with any differences reconciled. Paired t-tests were used to test differences of food expenditures by food group between the beginning and end-of-the-month shopping behaviors. Results: Shopping habits among low-income families changed throughout the month and were impacted by use of food assistance programs, food prices, and shopping logistics. Participants reported purchasing more varied foods at the beginning of the month versus more starch-based and canned foods at the end-of-the-month. To overcome economic barriers, participants used numerous strategies including weekly or monthly menu planning, price matching, and bulk buying. Conclusions and Implications: Low-income families make strategic decisions based on economic circumstances and other factors, including participation in food assistance programs, or the timing of the month, in order to stretch food expenditures. Our results suggest limited economics throughout the month may hinder families' ability to consume a varied, nutrient-rich diet, which may impact future health status.

Objective: There is little evidence of how fruit and vegetable (FV) household food availability changes over a one-month period among low-income households. The objective of this study was to analyze how FV variety and sustainability changes over a 4-week period. Design: Inventories were conducted in low-income family households (n=49) once a week over a 4-week period. Trained researchers gathered the weights of all FV, including legumes, within the home. Previously determined mean container weights were subtracted to obtain the estimated weight of the FV. All weights were then converted to edible cups of FV, taking into account the weight that is removed when stems, peels, skins, and canning liquid are removed. Analysis: Variety was measured by analyzing the number of kinds of FV within the USDA subgroups (100% fruit juice, citrus fruits, other fruits, dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, dry beans and peas, starchy vegetables, and other vegetables) found in the home. In addition, sustainability was analyzed by the number of days into the future at which households can meet 100% of the FV recommendations. Data were combined for all households, according to the time points with the most amount of FV (HFV), the second-most amount of FV, the third-most amount of FV, and the least amount of FV (LFV) available in the household. Results: Vegetables, specifically canned vegetables, comprised the majority of all measurements taken throughout all inventories. When combined, the kinds of total FV decreased significantly from 25±1.1 kinds on HFV to 21.2±1.1 kinds on LFV (p<.0001). Days into the future at 100% of the fruit recommendation fell significantly from 11.4±0.1 days on HFV to 7.1±0.1 days on LFV (p<.0001). Total vegetables decreased significantly from 25.3±0.1 days on HFV to 19.1±0.1 days on LFV (p<.0001). Even at the peak of FV availability, dark green vegetables remained the lowest subgroup at 2.17±0.1 days and decreased to 1.6±0.1 days at LFV (p=0.01). Conclusions and Implications: Low-income households have greater variety of FV during the times when they have the most food resources compared to when they have the least food resources. The days into the future that the household FV supply could be maintained at 100% of the USDA's subgroup recommendation varies widely between subgroups, from about two days up to more than one month. Further research is needed to determine how to maintain subgroup variety and constancy of a FV supply throughout the month for low-income FV.

A juventude assume características próprias conforme o contexto sociocultural e histórico. No Brasil, jovens pertencentes às camadas populares, em geral, ingressam no mercado de trabalho antes de atingir a maioridade legal, e passam a gozar de certa autonomia em relação à família. Durante a juventude as experiências vividas e os modos de conduta juvenis podem entrar em confronto com aqueles preconizados pelos pais. O grupo de pares contribui para a constituição da identidade pessoal e social dos jovens, além de ser importante agente na constituição de sua subjetividade. Esta pesquisa objetivou investigar como jovens do sexo masculino constituem suas identidades, subjetividade e masculinidade a partir das relações de sociabilidade vividas na família e no grupo de pares. Para isso, foram descritas e analisadas normas, códigos de conduta, representações de gênero e formas de sociabilidade que vigoram em cada uma dessas esferas. Foram realizadas nove entrevistas semiestruturadas, gravadas e transcritas, com jovens do sexo masculino, na faixa etária entre 17 e 23 anos, solteiros e inseridos no mercado de trabalho, pertencentes a famílias das camadas populares de Ribeirão Preto-SP. Além das entrevistas, realizou-se observação das formas de sociabilidade entre jovens em uma praça localizada na região central da cidade, e também foram realizadas observações em um bairro da periferia da cidade em que alguns entrevistados residiam. Os dados foram analisados qualitativamente, de acordo com a temática e fundamentados em referenciais teóricos da Antropologia, Sociologia e Psicologia. Ainda que pertençam a arranjos familiares distintos, os participantes apontam a mãe como figura afetiva e mais próxima deles, sendo o pai ou padrasto relativamente distante. Quanto à sociabilidade grupal, a maior parte dos participantes afirmou ter bastante afinidade com seus pares do mesmo sexo, com quem dividem questões pessoais, pois essas relações fundam-se na confiança mútua e na reciprocidade. O contato com os pares constitui um modo de amenizar as tensões entre orientações parentais e disposições juvenis, compartilhando com eles vivências comuns e modificando suas identidades, que se reconstroem ao longo de sua trajetória individual, social e geracional. A construção da masculinidade parece estar relacionada à honra, à virilidade. Apesar de manifestações tradicionais a respeito das relações de gênero, a maioria dos entrevistados também expressou vias alternativas a esse modelo. Desse modo, expressam certas mudanças em suas representações acerca das relações de gênero quando as comparam com as posturas paternas e ainda que essas inovações sejam relativamente reduzidas, convivendo ambiguamente com modelos tradicionais, julgam-se diferentes dos homens da geração anterior quanto a algumas dimensões definidoras da masculinidade e da convivência com mulheres. Com referência à trajetória dos participantes, em particular sua inserção precoce no mercado de trabalho e a convivência cotidiana com jovens que praticam atos ilícitos no bairro em que vivem, os entrevistados apoiam-se na família como referência para seus códigos morais, a fim de que sejam \"honestos\", opondo-se àqueles que se envolvem em atividades ilícitas, com quem convivem de modo cordial no bairro, ou até mesmo com quem podem ter alguma proximidade. (FAPESP) / The youth has different characteristics according to the sociocultural and historical context. In Brazil, generally young people from low income families enter the labor market before having reached legal majority, and start to enjoy some autonomy from their family. Throughout the youth, the experiences and modes of conduct may conflict with the standards established by their parents. The peer group contributes to the personal and social identity formation of young people; besides, it is an important agent for the constitution of their subjectivity. This study aimed to investigate how young men build their identity, subjectivity and masculinity based on their social relations with their family and peer group. In order to achieve this, there were described and analyzed standards, codes of conduct, gender representations and forms of sociability that prevail in each of these spheres. Nine semi-structured interviews with young males between the ages of 17 and 23, single, who entered the labor market and belong to lowincoming families of Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil were conducted, recorded and transcribed. Likewise, observations on the forms of sociability among young people were made both in a square located in the downtown area of the city and in a neighborhood where some participants live. The data was analyzed qualitatively, according to the theme and based on Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology theory. Although belonging to different family arrangements, participants point the mothers as the closest affective figure, whereas the father or stepfather are relatively distant. Regarding the group sociability, most participants stated that they have affinity with their same-sex pairs, with whom they share personal issues, because these relationships are founded on mutual trust and reciprocity. The contact with peers is one way to reduce tensions between parental guidance and youth provisions, sharing common experiences and modifying their identities, which are reconstructed along their individual, social and generational history of life. The construction of their masculinity seems to be related to honor and virility. Despite traditional expressions of gender relations, the majority of the participants also expressed alternative ways to this model. Thus, they express certain changes in their representations of gender relations when compared to the parental attitudes and, even though these innovations are relatively small and coexist ambiguously with traditional models, they think of themselves as different from the previous generation of men in some defining dimensions of masculinity and in relation to women. Regarding to the participants\' life history, in particular about their entrance in the labor market and about sharing their daily lives with young people who engage in illegal activities in the neighborhood where they live, the respondents rely on the family as a reference for their moral codes, in order to become \"honest\", as opposed to those who are envolved in illegal activities, with whom they share the neighborhood cordially, or even have some proximity. (FAPESP)

A juventude assume características próprias conforme o contexto sociocultural e histórico. No Brasil, jovens pertencentes às camadas populares, em geral, ingressam no mercado de trabalho antes de atingir a maioridade legal, e passam a gozar de certa autonomia em relação à família. Durante a juventude as experiências vividas e os modos de conduta juvenis podem entrar em confronto com aqueles preconizados pelos pais. O grupo de pares contribui para a constituição da identidade pessoal e social dos jovens, além de ser importante agente na constituição de sua subjetividade. Esta pesquisa objetivou investigar como jovens do sexo masculino constituem suas identidades, subjetividade e masculinidade a partir das relações de sociabilidade vividas na família e no grupo de pares. Para isso, foram descritas e analisadas normas, códigos de conduta, representações de gênero e formas de sociabilidade que vigoram em cada uma dessas esferas. Foram realizadas nove entrevistas semiestruturadas, gravadas e transcritas, com jovens do sexo masculino, na faixa etária entre 17 e 23 anos, solteiros e inseridos no mercado de trabalho, pertencentes a famílias das camadas populares de Ribeirão Preto-SP. Além das entrevistas, realizou-se observação das formas de sociabilidade entre jovens em uma praça localizada na região central da cidade, e também foram realizadas observações em um bairro da periferia da cidade em que alguns entrevistados residiam. Os dados foram analisados qualitativamente, de acordo com a temática e fundamentados em referenciais teóricos da Antropologia, Sociologia e Psicologia. Ainda que pertençam a arranjos familiares distintos, os participantes apontam a mãe como figura afetiva e mais próxima deles, sendo o pai ou padrasto relativamente distante. Quanto à sociabilidade grupal, a maior parte dos participantes afirmou ter bastante afinidade com seus pares do mesmo sexo, com quem dividem questões pessoais, pois essas relações fundam-se na confiança mútua e na reciprocidade. O contato com os pares constitui um modo de amenizar as tensões entre orientações parentais e disposições juvenis, compartilhando com eles vivências comuns e modificando suas identidades, que se reconstroem ao longo de sua trajetória individual, social e geracional. A construção da masculinidade parece estar relacionada à honra, à virilidade. Apesar de manifestações tradicionais a respeito das relações de gênero, a maioria dos entrevistados também expressou vias alternativas a esse modelo. Desse modo, expressam certas mudanças em suas representações acerca das relações de gênero quando as comparam com as posturas paternas e ainda que essas inovações sejam relativamente reduzidas, convivendo ambiguamente com modelos tradicionais, julgam-se diferentes dos homens da geração anterior quanto a algumas dimensões definidoras da masculinidade e da convivência com mulheres. Com referência à trajetória dos participantes, em particular sua inserção precoce no mercado de trabalho e a convivência cotidiana com jovens que praticam atos ilícitos no bairro em que vivem, os entrevistados apoiam-se na família como referência para seus códigos morais, a fim de que sejam \"honestos\", opondo-se àqueles que se envolvem em atividades ilícitas, com quem convivem de modo cordial no bairro, ou até mesmo com quem podem ter alguma proximidade. (FAPESP) / The youth has different characteristics according to the sociocultural and historical context. In Brazil, generally young people from low income families enter the labor market before having reached legal majority, and start to enjoy some autonomy from their family. Throughout the youth, the experiences and modes of conduct may conflict with the standards established by their parents. The peer group contributes to the personal and social identity formation of young people; besides, it is an important agent for the constitution of their subjectivity. This study aimed to investigate how young men build their identity, subjectivity and masculinity based on their social relations with their family and peer group. In order to achieve this, there were described and analyzed standards, codes of conduct, gender representations and forms of sociability that prevail in each of these spheres. Nine semi-structured interviews with young males between the ages of 17 and 23, single, who entered the labor market and belong to lowincoming families of Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil were conducted, recorded and transcribed. Likewise, observations on the forms of sociability among young people were made both in a square located in the downtown area of the city and in a neighborhood where some participants live. The data was analyzed qualitatively, according to the theme and based on Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology theory. Although belonging to different family arrangements, participants point the mothers as the closest affective figure, whereas the father or stepfather are relatively distant. Regarding the group sociability, most participants stated that they have affinity with their same-sex pairs, with whom they share personal issues, because these relationships are founded on mutual trust and reciprocity. The contact with peers is one way to reduce tensions between parental guidance and youth provisions, sharing common experiences and modifying their identities, which are reconstructed along their individual, social and generational history of life. The construction of their masculinity seems to be related to honor and virility. Despite traditional expressions of gender relations, the majority of the participants also expressed alternative ways to this model. Thus, they express certain changes in their representations of gender relations when compared to the parental attitudes and, even though these innovations are relatively small and coexist ambiguously with traditional models, they think of themselves as different from the previous generation of men in some defining dimensions of masculinity and in relation to women. Regarding to the participants\' life history, in particular about their entrance in the labor market and about sharing their daily lives with young people who engage in illegal activities in the neighborhood where they live, the respondents rely on the family as a reference for their moral codes, in order to become \"honest\", as opposed to those who are envolved in illegal activities, with whom they share the neighborhood cordially, or even have some proximity. (FAPESP)

Background: Compared to the general United States (U.S.) population, Arizona counties along the U.S.-Mexico border have a higher prevalence of dental caries, which can be reduced with adequate fluoride exposure. Because of concern regarding local tap water quality, fluoride-free bottled water consumption is common in this region, raising concern that families are not receiving adequate fluoride to promote dental health. Objective: To evaluate the levels of fluoride in tap and bottled water as well as the use of fluoride supplements in an Arizona border community. Methods: Low-income Latino households (n = 90) who report use of bottled water as their primary source of water intake were recruited. Participants completed a questionnaire about their and their children's dental histories and use of fluoride supplements. Water samples (bottled and tap) were collected from a subset of households (n = 30) for analysis of fluoride. Results: Fluoride detection levels were significantly greater (p = 0.02, Fisher's exact test) in tap water (average = 0.49 mg/dL) than in bottled water, yet, the majority (22/30) were below the range for optimal dental health (0.7-1.2 mg/L). Concentration of fluoride in the majority (29/30) of bottled water samples was below the quantitative detection limit of 0.4 mg/L. Children were significantly less likely to have dental caries if they received fluoride varnishing treatments (p = 0.01, Fisher's exact test), lived in households that reported using fluoridated mouthwash (p < 0.001, Fisher's exact test), their parents received fluoride education (p = 0.01, Fisher's exact test), and their parents reported visiting a dentist yearly (p < 0.001, Fisher's exact test). Furthermore, none of the participants reported receiving recommendations from health-care providers about fluoride supplementation or variance in content by the type of water consumed. Conclusion: Although fluoride was significantly more likely to be detected in tap than bottled water, neither water source in this border community is likely to provide enough fluoride for optimal dental health. Low-income children in this region may benefit from regular access to fluoride varnishing treatments and/or use of fluoridated mouthwash, interventions that could be tested in future well-designed trials.